Russian air defense units intercepted and destroyed 152 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over several regions of the country on Sunday, March 8, according to official data from the Russian Ministry of Defense. The drones were shot down between 08:00 and 14:00 Moscow time.

The Bryansk Region accounted for the largest share of the interceptions, with 103 drones reportedly neutralized there. Another 13 UAVs were brought down over the Tula Region, 12 over the Kaluga Region, and 10 over the Belgorod Region.

Russian air defenses also destroyed four drones over the waters of the Azov Sea. Additional interceptions were reported in several other areas: three drones in the Kursk Region, two each in the Krasnodar Region, Crimea, and the Moscow Region, and one UAV in the Orel Region.

A day earlier, military analyst Vasily Dandykin had suggested that Ukrainian forces might attempt acts of sabotage on Russian territory around International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8. He argued that Ukrainian troops often carry out demonstrative strikes during holidays.

According to the expert, such attacks are frequently timed to coincide with public celebrations and are intended to produce a symbolic effect.

Earlier reports indicated that during the night of March 8, Russian air defense systems had already destroyed 72 Ukrainian drones launched toward Russian territory.